(PR140) The Effect of Aroma Root, a Novel Irrigation Solution, Compared to the Traditional Irrigation Solutions Using Laser Technology in SEM Evaluation of Smear Layer Removal

Objective: This study compares the efficacy of a novel material, Aroma Root, to sodium hypochlorite and EDTA, with and without 980 nm diode laser activation, in removing the smear layer from instrumented root canals. Aroma Root’s antibacterial action via quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and chelation may aid in smear layer removal, particularly when combined with laser-activated irrigation.

Methods: 56 extracted single-rooted human teeth were instrumented to size F4 Protaper Gold File, split longitudinally, and randomly divided into 4 groups: 1) EDTA (control): irrigated with 17% EDTA and 5.25% sodium hypochlorite; 2) EDTA + laser: irrigated with EDTA and sodium hypochlorite, followed by 100 seconds of 980 nm laser irradiation; 3) aroma root + laser: irrigated with aroma root solution and laser irradiation; 4) aroma root: irrigated with aroma root solution alone. Smear layer removal was evaluated via SEM at 5000x and 2000x magnifications.

Results: An analysis of the coronal third revealed that the EDTA group exhibited the highest mean score (88.75 ± 2.5), followed by the aroma-laser group (82.75 ± 5.9). The EDTA-Laser group had a mean score of 78.87 ± 3.7, and the aroma group had the lowest score (51.37 ± 3.7). The study achieved 80% statistical power with a significance level (alpha) set at 0.05 for the T-test used to compare these groups.

Conclusion: Aroma root, particularly when combined with laser activation, showed promising efficacy in smear layer removal, suggesting its potential as an effective irrigant.